2021 INFINITI QX50 Review

Though it’s the smallest and least expensive crossover in the Infiniti lineup, the QX50 carries advanced technology, both under its hood and elsewhere. The 2021 model year sees mild updates for this SUV, as Infiniti added a standard WiFi hotspot, a new color option, and side airbags for rear-seat passengers.

The QX50 is offered in five trim levels for 2021: Pure, Luxe, Essential, Sensory, and Autograph. Just one engine is on offer for the QX50, but it’s an advanced unit that features some trick tech. It’s called a VC-Turbo, which means variable compression. That technology allows the engine to shift between high compression for cruising and low compression when the driver stabs the throttle. The result—at least on paper—is that the engine is able to provide power when needed but remain efficient at other times. It’s rated at 268 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque and routes power through a continuously variable transmission (CVT), with standard front-wheel drive (FWD) or optional all-wheel drive (AWD).

Inside, the QX50 comes with a dual-screen infotainment system that displays audio information on the top screen and climate or vehicle settings on the bottom. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, USB inputs, and more are all standard, and the audio system can be upgraded with a 16-speaker premium Bose stereo.

Interior finishes can be quite lavish in upper trims, but the base Pure trim only gets leatherette upholstery. Mid-range models come with leather, while higher trims get either semi-aniline leather with heating and ventilation up front or white semi-aniline leather with quilting.

Infiniti equipped the 2021 QX50 with a host of standard advanced safety features that include blind-spot monitoring, predictive forward-collision warnings, forward automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, rear automatic braking, and traction control. Higher trims get a lane-departure prevention system and a blind-spot intervention system. In crash testing, the QX50 scored a “Superior” rating for front vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), but it did not pick up a “Top Safety Pick” designation.

The 2021 Infiniti QX50 is on sale now. It carries a starting price of $38,975, which includes a mandatory $1,025 destination charge. The top-of-the-line QX50 Autograph AWD starts at $57,875.